Family search for heroic stranger who saved heart attack father's life

  • Wales
Bobby Gamlin, pictured left and with loved ones, right, was saved by a quick-thinking stranger.

A family is searching for a selfless stranger who helped to save a father's life after he suffered a sudden heart attack in the street.

Bobby Gamlin, 55, was on Albany Road, Cardiff, with a friend on Thursday 11 February when he began to feel dizzy.

The father-of-one from Roath, who had no underlying health conditions, went into cardiac arrest and collapsed.

His relatives were told a young man stopped to perform lifesaving first aid and kept blood pumping around Mr Gamlin’s body until paramedics arrived.

Now they are hoping to track down the man in question, saying they "owe him everything".

Mr Gamlin’s sister Mary Taylor, 44, from Rumney, said: “A young man who was with his girlfriend asked if he could intervene and began performing CPR while other bystanders called paramedics.“He performed it by himself and thanks to him, we are where we are now.

"This happened completely out of the blue. When I had the phone call and my family told me [my brother] was on the way to hospital, it was just devastating and so sudden.”

This appeal by Mr Gamlin's sister Mary has been shared hundreds of times. Credit: Facebook

After two weeks in intensive care, Mr Gamlin is due to be moved to a cardiac ward.Doctors initially told the family he could be left with brain damage or that he might not survive at all.However, after previously being tube-fed, Mr Gamlin is now able to feed himself and is also able to send messages on his phone.Mary added: “He’s saying the odd word and can't hold a conversation, but it is good progress from the initial prognosis.“His friend is still in shock and he’s also struggling. While the ambulance was there he thanked the young man but he can’t remember much more.

"My brother wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for the young man."

Mr Gamlin, right, is still recovering in hospital after two weeks in intensive care.

Now the family have shared a post on Facebook to try and track down the man so they can thank him properly.They say he’s a young man in his early twenties and are asking for people's help to find him.Mary added: “Without the man it would be a totally different situation. The fact that he performed CPR, especially during coronavirus, is so selfless.“It would mean everything if we were able to thank him - it would mean the absolute world.”